Lablab purpureus
Lablab purpureus
Safety & Hazards
The raw seed is poisonous[ 34 Title The Oxford Book of Food Plants. Publication Author Harrison. S. Wallis. M. Masefield. G. Publisher Oxford University Press Year 1975 ISBN - Description Good drawings of some of the more common food plants from around the world. Not much information though. ]. Mature seeds have a high content of toxic cyanogenic glucosides and trypsine, and must be thoroughly cooked before eating[ 299 Title Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. Publication Author Website http://www.prota.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa. ]. Cooking completely destroys the toxin[ 418 Title Ecocrop Publication Author Website http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available. ].
Botanical Description
Lablab purpureus is a bushy, or a climbing and branching, herbaceous, short-lived perennial plant that is often grown as an annual. It produces twining stems that can be 6 - 9 metres long[ 310 Title Plant Resources of Southeast Asia Publication Author Website http://proseanet.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia. , 418 Title Ecocrop Publication Author Website http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available. ]. The plant has a well developed tap-root with many laterals and well developed adventitious roots[ 310 Title Plant Resources of Southeast Asia Publication Author Website http://proseanet.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia. ]. The plant is best known for its edible seed, though it also has an edible root, leaves, flowers and seedpods. In addition, it has a wide range of medicinal applications and can be used as a green manure. The plant is commonly cultivated, both in home gardens and commercially, in warm temperate to tropical climates for its edible seed, and is also occasionally grown as an ornamental[ 299 Title Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. Publication Author Website http://www.prota.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa. ].